


Clouds Against our Skin

by MooncatEclipse (Wolfgrowl)



Series: Wondrous Tails Bingo Event [15]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Dancing, M/M, Panicking over feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23834056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfgrowl/pseuds/MooncatEclipse
Summary: Rain has come to the Crystalarum, and the Warriors of Light and Darkness are going to take the chance to enjoy it.
Relationships: Ardbert/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)
Series: Wondrous Tails Bingo Event [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1670677
Comments: 5
Kudos: 18





	Clouds Against our Skin

**Author's Note:**

> For the Prompts: (Attempting to) Dance Together and Listening to Music
> 
> Due to me not touching MSQ for a bit, Nijoh'ir takes a brief few day vacation between Ilh Mheg and the Rak'tika Greatwood and during put the moves on a ghost apparently.

Nijoh’ir leaned out the window, hanging off the balcony with a grin, ears and tail wiggling wildly, the rain falling on his skin, turning his head as Ardbert stepped out to join him.

“I guess you get a day longer before setting off,” he lifted his hand, palm up, watching as a raindrop passed through it. Nijoh’ir turned to him, his smile flickered for a moment, but he pushed through, twisting around to rest his elbows on the metal railing, head tilted back to let the rain hit his face, Ardbert watching him silently, Nijoh’ir glanced over at him, slowly grinning. Below he could hear the people of the Crystalarium cheering, several taking to the streets to celebrate the rain, unseen for years.

Nijoh’ir had seen the rain far more recently, but it was still a joy to see it on Norvrandt, to know he had brought this back.

His ears swiveled at a sound, Ardbert joined him in leaning over the railing to watch people lug out instruments, a cheerful strong struck up as people finding dance partners, siblings, partners, friends, strangers, all caught up in the moment, even those that were not dancing moved their celebrations closer, to enjoy the music.

Nijoh’ir, grinned, offering his hand to Ardbert, “dance with me?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

Nijoh’ir’s ears flicked, water droplets flinging off them, his grin wild and eyes bright, “I get that a lot. Come on, dance with me.”

Ardbert shook his head, smiling despite himself, whether he found Nijoh’ir’s joy or the delight of the people below contagious or to see his home restored, to know that once more there was rain and there would be growth, who could say.

But he reached out to take Nijoh’ir’s hand, letting out a surprised cry as Nijoh’ir pulled him closer, to dance into the apartment, tracking water over the floor, he and Ardbert stumbled, neither quite ready to dance with each other, or overly familiar with the song that rose from the streets below but they were trying, Nijoh’ir’s laughter filling the apartment as Ardbert tried to keep up with the sure-footed bard.

“You’re lucky I can’t step on your feet,” Ardbert warned him only for Nijoh’ir to yelp.

“Spoke too soon.” He tossed his head with a laugh, damp bangs falling in his eyes, “but that’s alright.”

Ardbert stared at him a moment, as though speechless, barely remembering to move with Nijoh’ir’s dancing, before he let out a quiet laugh, the first Nijoh’ir had ever heard from him. He grinned wider and twisted around, the music getting faster, and he and Ardbert finding their footing, Light and Darkness dancing not smoothly but with delight, Ardbert looked, well, alive. Like hope had finally found its place in him again.

He twisted Nijoh’ir back on to the balcony and right into a dip, smoother than Nijoh’ir expected, and for a moment they froze there, Nijoh’ir held up by nothing but a ghost, both of them giddy and grinning, before becoming aware of just how intimate their position was, chests heaving and pressed together.

Nijoh’ir’s eyes drifted to Ardbert’s lips and then back to his eyes, the music and laughter continued but for the moment it was in a different world than the two of them.

Ardbert shifted slightly, “I-“

Nijoh’ir jerked and blinked rapidly, reaching up to wipe at his eye, “ugh.” Ardbert, being incorporeal to anyone but Nijoh’ir, had not offered shelter from the still falling raindrops, “sorry, you were-”

Ardbert’s lips crashed messily into Nijoh’ir’s, the Miqo’te’s ears shooting straight up and tail bushing out before he kissed back, sliding his hand up Ardbert’s back to between his shoulders to push him closer, grinning into it.

Ardbert was also the first to jerk back, Nijoh’ir grinning at him as the Warrior of Darkness remembered himself, vanishing, to let Nijoh’ir fall to the wet pavement with a yelp, reaching up to swipe his damp bangs out of his eyes.

“Hey!”

After a moment he laughed again, tilting his head back to enjoy the rain and revelry. When Ardbert showed back up they’d talk things out. He smiled, closing his eyes and breathing in the cool air and the smell of rain.

**Author's Note:**

> Ya ever make out with a guy only to remember that he's probably a reflection of your soul and also you're dead so you panic and literally ghost him?
> 
> Title once more comes from a song, this time Giants by Matt Nathenson.
> 
> One day I'm gonna go and figure out how to write my entirely self-indulgent Ardbert/Nijoh'ir/Haurchefant fic and then I will just ascend.
> 
> I realized I should maybe clarify that if Nijoh'ir is putting moves on someone other than Haurchefant then Haurchefant is either dead or they've talked about it. Nijoh'ir would not cheat on Haurchefant.


End file.
